Current Skiing Conditions

We all know the Colorado didn’t get the start to the ski season we had been hoping for. Not to worry though! As hoped, the snow has arrived. We’ve had up to 30 inches of the fluffy white stuff fall within the last two weeks! As a result, the skiing these past few days has been phenomenal! There are no lift lines, the sun has come out and the skiing is soft. Smiles abound from everybody luck enough to be here in Aspen, CO right now. Snowmass has opened up Coney Glades, the Big Burn, Sam’s Knob, Elk Camp, Alpine Springs and even High Alpine! Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands are both up and running, while Aspen Mountain has all regular lifts turning for the season! What this means is that we are now the winter season of 2012/2013 is now in full swing! Come and enjoy everything Aspen Snowmass has to offer – world class skiing and world class amenities! Café Suzanne at Snowmass has been completely rebuilt for this season, with the Merry-Go-Round at the midpoint of Aspen Highlands having undergone extensive renovations towards the end of last winter. These facilities are perhaps only outdone by The Sundeck at the summit of Aspen Mountain – It’s hard to think of another location that might be more scenic! Extensive views of the Elk Mountain Range, including the Highlands Bowl, Pyramid Peak and the world famous Maroon Bells linger in the background of every diners view. We hope to see you on the mountain! Photo courtesy of www.aspensnowmass.com

The snow is here!

It wouldn’t be a winter in the Colorado Rocky Mountains without snow! I know a lot of people have been questioning whether it would ever snow again, but the good news is that it has! At the time of writing there is only a light dusting outside the window, but we will welcome all new snow with open arms. Don’t forget that it’s a few degrees cooler at a couple of thousand feet higher up – in other words, a dusting down here in town translates to more favorable conditions up on the mountains! In more good news, it appears as though we’re going to be hit by a storm rolling through this weekend, and there’s a good chance of snow each day next week! At long last, the cooler temperatures are arriving and bringing with them the white fluffy powder that we all love! With several collective ski days under our belt thus far, the team here at The Innsbruck could not be more excited about this ski season! No, we don’t have as much terrain open as we would like. But it will open. Moreover, the terrain that is already open is in terrific condition. The snowmaking and grooming crews here at Aspen Snowmass are among the best, and they have been working around the clock to provide us with perfect corduroy and enough vertical to get the lungs hurting and the legs burning! If you want detailed weather forecasts for Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, we recommend www.aspenweather.net. Run by a couple of local skiers (who happen to be very good at forecasting weather), this website offers the most detailed forecast specifically for our four mountains. Translating boring weather patterns into exciting powder days, this website is definitely worth a look.

Get ski fit for the upcoming winter!!

Winter is almost here! That means you have all started booking your trips out to Aspen and are looking forward to doing it properly this year... You've told yourself you'll be as fit and ready as ever! Most people turn up and expect that their monthly workout will see them through. And it will. But those with the extra strength & conditioning training under their belt will be far better off... As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. The same applies for getting ready for ski season, although there are basic principles that apply across the board. Fitness is a big part of skiing - being able to enjoy a run from top to bottom without needing to stop and "admire the views" is a satisfying feeling. So make sure you're doing what you can to boost your cardio levels. Don't forget, especially for those of you coming from sea level, that Aspen's base elevation is 7,908 feet above sea level - the air carries less oxygen at this altitude, so don't be surprised to find yourself short of breath, regardless of conditioning levels. Strength workouts are also beneficial for both skiing and snowboarding. As with almost every sport (and life in general), a good strong core helps with athletic ability. So spend some time working off that paunch - besides, you want to look good when lounging at Sky Pool, don't you?? Leg workouts are extremely important too. Not only will strong quadriceps, hamstrings and calves keep you on the mountain from first chair to last call on those deep powder days we all crave, but they will help prevent injury & boost recovery time. Squats, lunges and wall-sits are all good exercises for boosting lower body strength. As always though, seek help from a professional if you are unsure of the proper technique. Stability and balance also play a key role when skiing and snowboarding, so be sure to include a variety of balance exercises while boosting your overall strength. And lastly, don't forget to stretch! Many professional skiiers and snowboarders are big advocates of yoga and other forms of stretching workouts. Flexibility helps with balance and keeping muscles loose, and will help you avoid sticky situations when caught out by the flat light days. Even 10 minutes of stretching in the morning will help boost blood circulation, focus the mind and boost energy levels. So on that note, go get ready for the season!! The more you do now, the better your days will be. Happy trails!

American Lake and the Castle Creek Valley

Don’t wait. This is the weekend. We have it on good authority that the clouds currently enveloping Aspen will blow out by the weekend and we will be seeing the absolute peak of the fall colors in the Castle Creek Valley! For those not as familiar with our geography, the Castle Creek Valley lies just to the south-west of Aspen, and is easily accessible via Castle Creek Road (running from the roundabout right outside town). With incredible contrasts between Aspen groves and fir trees, and with Castle Creek at its heart, the Castle Creek Valley puts forward a strong argument as the hiking around Aspen. American Lake is the valley’s signature hike. At 3.2 miles each way, and covering nearly 2000ft in elevation gain, it is not for the faint of heart. You will, however, be justly rewarded. You will enter a large grove of Aspen trees, before emerging into a spruce forest and intermittent alpine meadows. The emerald green water of American Lake is the perfect spot for a packed lunch. For those preferring a more gourmet meal, the Pine Creek Cookhouse is located just a mile or two further up Castle Creek Road and will most certainly satisfy any hunger! They are open for lunch and dinner through October 7th.

Photo courtesy of SILBECL http://www.flickr.com/groups/colorado/discuss/72157607502279267/ For more information, please go to the links below. http://trails.gorp.com/American-Lake-Trail-1083 http://suite101.com/article/hiking-american-lake-trail-in-aspen-colorado-a62020 http://www.pinecreekcookhouse.com/

Fall - our favorite season??

The summer season is drawing to a close in Aspen. We’ve seen the end of the Aspen Music Festival and School. The Silver Queen Gondola is now running only on weekends. The Motherlode volleyball tournament came and went. And now, with the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day music festival over with for another year, the start of fall in Aspen has been signaled. We could not be more excited! Fall presents many opportunities for both visitors and locals alike in Aspen. A surreal peace washes over the town following the non stop hustle and bustle of summer. The crowds are thinner. The line outside Paradise Bakery becomes manageable. Restaurants are still humming along but not jam packed, often offering reasonably priced specials your wallet will thank you for. Your chances of finding a parking space in town are increased, although our complimentary guest shuttle can help you avoid that problem. The true attraction though is what is sometimes overlooked during the busier months – our stunning location in the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains! The weather in fall is nigh on perfect here in Aspen. Sunny days kick off with a fresh start – what better way to start the day than a nice cup of coffee on a crisp mountain morning? Temperatures rise in proportion with the sun’s position in the sky, and all the activities that seemed a little unappealing in the heat of the summer months suddenly become far more attractive – tennis, cycling, hiking. And what hiking! The colors on display are nothing short of spectacular! I challenge you to not be amazed when you Google image “fall colors in Aspen”. I’ll wait while you pick your jaw up off the ground. Highly recommended are the Cathedral Lake and American Lake out-and-back hikes in the Castle Creek Valley – will full colors on display, these hikes will rival any you can think of. As the saying goes, “you come for the winter, but you stay for the summer”. Fall might just be more impressive than both of those seasons!

What's in a name?

The Innsbruck hotel & residence club shares its name with a small city in western Austria. Although approximately 6 times larger than Aspen in terms of population, Innsbruck possesses many parallels to our small town, the most obvious being the surrounding mountains. Although Aspen sits at a much higher altitude, being 7908 feet above sea level compared to Innsbruck’s 1883 feet above sea level, the mountains surrounding Innsbruck are famed for their winter snow. Surrounding ski resorts include the Nordkette, Axamer Lizum, Seefeld and Stubai Valley. Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, as well as the Winter Paralympics in 1984 and 1988. Innsbruck also played host to the first Winter Youth Olympics in 2012. That’s some winter pedigree - It sounds like our four legendary mountains of Aspen Snowmass have some competition! Innsbruck is hailed as the cultural centre of western Austria, and is a substantially tourist based economy. Although the snow is what brings many visitors to Aspen, it is perhaps the cultural events that Aspen is best know for and most proud of. The Ideas Festival, the Food & Wine Classic, the McCloskey Speaker Series, the Labor Day Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival are just some of the world renowned attractions that Aspen hosts throughout the summer. Known for their many historic churches and chapels, several world class museums and their ‘Festwochen der Alten Musik’ (Weeks of Ancient Music), Innsbruck’s cultural philosophy seems to mesh consistently with Aspen. Some 19 miles south of Innsbruck lies the Brenner Pass – a major transportation and communications link dating as far back as 1267. Although nowhere near as old, Independence Pass crosses the Continental Divide approximately 20 miles east of Aspen. Primarily established to give miners and prospectors access to more fertile valleys, Independence Pass was a large contributor to the success of Aspen in a not dissimilar way to how the Brenner Pass allowed Innsbruck to grow and flourish. Innsbruck literally means “bridge over the River Inn”. Although there is no bridge that The Innsbruck crosses and no river that The Innsbruck straddles, I think you will agree that there are enough similarities between the western Austrian town and our beautiful home in Aspen to justify the permanent link of our name. *Credit to Wikipedia for all information sourced.

Free Thursday Night Concerts In Snowmass

Every Thursday evening throughout the summer, the town of Snowmass puts on a free concert. The stage is located on the ski run known as Fanny Hill, and forms one of the most spectacular backdrops for a concert you will ever see – the stage is erected such that the view down to the valley floor below is squarely behind the entertainers! The music varies from week to week; however the overarching theme is of good times for all present. From laid back rock grooves to jam bands and psychedelic soul to country stomp, the performers always have a knack for feeling out the crowd and giving them what they want. Typically there’s a good contingent of people dancing up front, not to be put off by plenty of people on the hill behind them taking in all the action from the comfort of their picnic blankets and camping chairs. As the Aspen/Snowmass website puts it, bring a blanket or low lawn chair and a picnic basket of finger foods for the ultimate al fresco experience. Beer and wine are available for purchase at inexpensive prices; grilled foods are also offered. A Family Fun Zone entertains kids with anything from a bouncy house to face painting, juggling and more. A starting time of 6:15pm also ensures it’s an all inclusive, family friendly affair. There is free parking at the Snowmass Rodeo lot, although the preferred method of transport is RFTA – the public transport system runs free buses out to Snowmass regularly and departs frequently throughout the evening to bring you safely home. Looking for something different on a Thursday night? Keen to have a good time? Need a break from the Aspen restaurant scene? Enjoy live music and feel like dancing? Care for a relaxing evening on a picnic blanket soaking up the sunset? Try the Snowmass Concert Series - It will be a memorable evening had by all regardless of whether you want to chill out or dance up a storm all night!